Special eye clinic

Suraj A. Bandara

A special free eye clinic will be held tomorrow at the Eye Hospital, Colombo to mark the third World Glaucoma Day 2010 which will be on March 12. This clinic is a joint venture organized by the Sri Lanka Ophthalmologist Association and Vision 2020 Secretariat, Health Ministry sources said.

Glaucoma is an epidemiological challenge affecting approximately 12 percent of the global population with an estimated 50 percent Glaucoma cases remaining undiagnosed. Nearly 4.5 million people of the world population are on the verge of total blindness due to the Glaucoma. Exactly half of the global population who have diabetics are suffering from cataract. Nearly 4 percent suffer from Trachoma which is fortunately not in Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka, approximately between 10-12 percent of the population have been victims of Glaucoma while 40-60 percent suffer from cataract. There is a growing threat of those over 40 years age being afflicted with Glaucoma.

It is important to remember that infants and children can get glaucoma too. In fact, some children are born with glaucoma (congenital glaucoma). The causes are simply due to old age, longterm diabetes, blood relationship with some one who has Glaucoma, wearing spectacles with thick lenses and injury to the eye.

This clinic will be opened only for those above 40.